Primary Navigation

Superstitions To Look Out For When Buying A Property

Malaysia has always been a superstitious country. From not cutting nails at night to touching wood when mentioning the possibility of something realistically terrifying, we’ve looked to superstitions to guide our lives in the right direction.

In conjunction with Halloween, we’ve found some of the superstitions local Malaysians live by when moving into a new house.

The Location

Most major communities in Malaysia avoid properties that are built on a slope with the access road slopping downward toward the frontage road. Malaysians believe that can cause the owner’s wealth and ‘luck’ to flow away and into properties located lower.

Another huge no-no is if the property entrance is built below the road level. It is believed that all the bad juju from other residences in the area will flow onto the road and eventually into that particular property. But more practically, these property see a lot more dust than properties that are on the same level or higher than the road.

Home seekers also avoid properties that are either facing a T-Junction, or located at one. The Chinese believe that T-Junctions are the gateway for evil spirits to enter our world. Hence having your property at one or facing one could make your home the breeding ground for anything and everything demonic and paranormal.

Most Malaysians avoid residing within the vicinity of high-tension wires. These wires could emit electrical or magnetic pulses, which many fear may cause cancer.

The Numbers

As Malaysians, we do have our aversions toward certain numbers. The most commonly and widely adhered to superstition regarding numbers in Malaysia may very well be the number 4. As in Cantonese, the number 4 is pronounced as “Sei”, in which with a slight change of intonation could also mean ‘death’. Hence, you will never see a property or floor labelled with the number 4.

14 is pronounced as “Sap Sei” which closely sounds like “Sat Sei”, translating to “Sure to Die”. 24 is pronounced “Yi Sap Sei” could very much sound like “Easy to Die”.

Though, the Malay community in Malaysia tell a different story as the number 4, in Malay is “Empat” which sounds like “Dapat”, meaning gain or receive. Some even tell tales of how the number 4 looks like a person sitting cross-legged, looking as care free as a human can be.

And then there’s the most internationally notorious number of them all, the unlucky number 13. You don’t even need us to tell you why this one is a widely avoided number.

The History

All properties have history hence it’s good to find out what kind. If a property has been left vacant for a while and it looks unsafe and creepy, it is believed that there could have been an unnatural death in the property such as murder or suicide. Most Malaysians believe that the spirit of the deceased may still be in the property.

Certain residential units are built from the ruins of old hospitals and religious places. This is a huge no-no to most communities where these places are considered too concentrated with spirits for people to live in.

The Chinese believe that in order to rid the location of spirits, the building must be demolished. The bare site is to be exposed to the sunlight for at least 49 days before reconstructing the building.

The View

Having cemeteries as a view can be an unpleasant sight. Most local communities dislike staying near cemeteries, hospitals and religious sites for the fear of “Ying Qi” or negative energy. The older Chinese folk also warn against staying in high-rise buildings that face curved elevated highways as the curve of the highway resembles a sickle. This is considered a very inauspicious omen towards the owners health and wealth.

The Indian community on the other hand look for properties with views of water bodies, though it has to be in the right direction. According to the traditional Hindu system of architecture called ‘Vastu Shastra’, water is a huge energy generator. It can bring in very strong positive and negative energies depending on which direction it is located at.

The Direction

The Indian community dislike having their main doors facing Southwest. They believe that is the direction in which the devil can enter from. The Chinese community though, avoids houses that face the direction in which the sun sets or sun rises. Avoiding direct sunlight can help provide a cooler indoor temperature.

Muslims in Malaysia look for properties with the consideration of the Qibla in mind. Qibla is the direction faced when they pray in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. Toilets and showers should be perpendicular to the direction of the Qibla when doing the Wudhu (ablution).

Bedrooms are to be placed perpendicular to the Qibla. Beds should be positioned in such a way that when someone sleeps on their right side, they would be facing Qibla. Desks should also be facing the Qibla when studying, reading and working.

The Features

The main door of the property is very important as it’s the main entry point into the property. Hence according to superstition, there should never be any obstructions in front of the main door. Pillars, pots or lamps that can block good energy from entering the property should be removed.

Most Malaysian communities also believe, the bigger the main door, the more wealth and good luck they’ll have. But beware of having a drain parallel to your main door, or you might lose all that good fortune down the drain.

If you’re a superstitious person who needs to cleanse your home with some feng shui goodness, check out our property feng shui article here!

Do you think we’ve missed out on any? Feel free to let us know in the comment section below!

Categories

Bumbung

​This blog is powered by ​Bumbung​,​ a property platform that delivers quality listings through verified agents.
​We will provide you with tips to improve your home and help you apprehend the complexity of the housing market.